Three outstanding individuals--all actively engaged with PRBO and all committed to providing leadership to our organization--have recently joined PRBO's Board of Directors.

Rebecca Patton is a Regional Managing Director for The Nature Conservancy, charged with TNC programs throughout western North America, in western South America and in Asia. Previously, she was a very successful marketing manager for Silicon Valley firms; she sought a greater focus on conservation in her work. Says Rebecca, "My respect for PRBO has grown steadily as I have learned more about its work, including the very productive collaborations with TNC."

Andrew Jones, PhD, is a biochemist whose remarkable career with Genentech, Inc., was marked by major achievements--helping develop the analytical methods used to support FDA approval of many Genentech products, publishing some 40 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, inventing/co-inventing four issued patents, and more. Andrew is widely travelled and experienced, good humored and humorous. His current interests range from megalithic monuments and archaeoastronomy to landscape photography--and include PRBO!

Carolyn Johnson has a long history of leadership in wetland and bird conservation, as well as in public policy, in the San Francisco North Bay region. She helped steer the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation as it grew from a small volunteer organization to a multi-million dollar, professional nonprofit dedicated to protecting a 250-square-mile freshwater wetland complex in the heart of Sonoma County. Carolyn has been active with PRBO since the 1980s, when she volunteered in the beached bird survey. She participated in Sonoma's breeding bird atlas project and is a regular in regional Christmas bird counts. Her passion for birds, nature and community inspires everyone she meets.

All three bring great enthusiasm and leadership to help PRBO reach its next levels of accomplishment. Says Board president Steve Thal, "Rebecca, Andrew and Carolyn bring business and science acumen, a deep passion for science-driven conservation, and a love of nature. We are genuinely honored by their commitment to PRBO, and we welcome each!"

We also extend heartfelt thanks to outgoing Board member Matt Stone, whose leadership on our Facilities Committee led to the exciting developments reported on page 2 of this Observer.